Burgess - Houston-Packer Collection BT715 .B85 1652

SECT. II I. Falfe Signs ofGrace. 149 are called ,vena, becaufe oftheir (purs : andProverbs 23. It is applied to Thefling ofa Bee : Therefore tobe a Pharifee , was to be a fcrupulous , anxious man, which did fubcillyexamine all things : Hcnce theywere fo flrid, that they would not fleep upon any eafiething, leaf{ they should have anyvain, or indecen c thoughts fo much as in their very dreams : and becaufeofthis ftridnefs, it was that they were foadmired among the people , whereas the Sadducees denying Angels, Spirits, and the Refurredion, were for the moft part ofthericher, and greater fort, becaufe fuchopinions did belt fuit with their lulls; yet becaufe of their greatnefsthough they held fuch fundamental Errors, yet they were not Excommu- nicated Errors. From the Text wemay obferve, That an extraordinary firibl way taken up inReligion,is thought aforeand agood Obfery foundation bymanyfar their eternal! happinef. The Pharifie for this unufual , and fupererogating way of exadnefs , as they ariayway think judged, was reputed by himfeifand others , as thole that fhould certainly go to religion a good Heaven, ifany did. Howconfidently they ufed to prefume of this, appeareth by foundation for Paul, Phil.3.y,6,7. Where makingaCatalogue ofthole things, He once thought a bappioolle. gain to him; he inftanceth in this as one of the !aft and molt noble priviledges, that he was after the Law, a Pharifee t Infomuchthat if any might have confidence in external priviledges, he faith, he might. Wherehaul alto at anothertime, nildfs 22.3. Declaring his former converfation, mentioneth this particular , as the main, faying, Be Was taught according re the perfell manner ofthe Law ofthe Fathers. Todifcover this falle fign, feveral things are confiderable, as Firfe, The way to heaven is a frills andexslt way, andall our duties are to be done The way ro with a curious circumfpelíion : Oar prayers are to beexalt prayers; our obedience heaven is flri& exa&obedience : foEphef.3.Walkdw;rids, exallly: Hence the Gate that leads tobappinefs is Ilraióht andnarrow, as the way to hellis broad and eafie. I (hall not thereforefpeak againfl a true and Scripture-exa&nefs : the people ofGod may' and ought to take comfort, in that they walk ina more fingular and exact way then the world doth, and a man living and dying in the common rode and praelces of men, having nothing moreextraordinary in him then they; bath no fymptome of grace upon him: t,,./Ttarb.y. Our faviour (peaking to his Difciples, That they Jhoald love their enemies ; For faith he, If ye love yorsrfriends, Whatfingular thing do ye ? do not the Publicans thefame ? Therefore from hence it followerh, That the people of God ought to do fingular things tomenof the world : There is a good fingularity and precifenefs : and howfoever the prophane world make a taunt, and reproachof this, that you are fo fingular andprecife, yet none areGodly that are not fo : Do not even thePohl cant thefame? He that goeeh no further, and Both nomore then Publicans,hath noevidence for falvation : Therefore lay down this for a foundation, The Way of ggodlineft, is afitiP?, precife,fingular Way. The Scri- pturemakes it anexalt courie; and thereforemy diffolure,carelefs,negligent walks ing, can no more china a Title toheaven, then darknefs tolight. Attend to this , youwhole lives are as molt of theworld are; proud as they,prophane as they,cons temning of Religion as they. Now, Thatgodlinfomuff beflriElnefsappearethpartly from the nature of Grace, 7 which is contrary to our afeEliane , and fo-doth with prevailing power fubdue them From thecon- to the griefof the unregenerate part : Hence the Scripture calls it, Mortifying, rrariety of andcrucifying the old man; which implyeth the painand Agony ourcorrupt part is Trace to our exercifed with byGrace : Chri9ianut efi perpetua nattera violencia, to conquer affe4t4ons. luths, is Topullcoat the righe eye, andchop o/the righeband: andby this we may fee how few are Godly,becaufe they are rare that feel this fpiritual conflilt andagony, there is nomortifyingand crucifyingwithin them. Again , Godlinefsmull needs be exadnefs : partly, Beeanfe our duties are fo bounded, and circnmflantiated in theirprinciples,manner andoar, That to do a- U 3 ny

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